Accra, Ghana – Renowned legal scholar and social commentator Kwaku Asare has delivered a stinging response to former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, insisting that academic degrees are not the problem behind Ghana’s growing unemployment crisis.
Reacting to comments suggesting that university degrees may no longer guarantee employment, Asare argued that the real issue lies with an economy that continues to produce graduates without creating enough jobs to absorb them.
According to him, blaming degrees for graduate unemployment is both misleading and unfair. Instead, he says policymakers should focus on fixing the country’s weak economic structure, which has failed to generate sustainable employment opportunities for the thousands of graduates leaving universities every year.
“Don’t blame degrees—blame the economy that fails to absorb graduates,” Asare stressed, emphasizing that education remains a valuable investment when supported by a thriving economy capable of creating meaningful jobs.
His remarks have reignited the national debate over unemployment, with many Ghanaians questioning whether the country’s economic policies are keeping pace with the increasing number of graduates entering the labour market.
The exchange comes amid growing public concern over youth unemployment, underemployment, and the widening gap between higher education and available job opportunities. Analysts argue that while educational reforms are important, they must be matched with industrial growth, entrepreneurship support, and private-sector expansion to ensure graduates can transition successfully into the workforce.
As discussions intensify, Asare’s message has struck a chord with many, shifting the spotlight from the value of university degrees to the broader challenge of building an economy capable of turning academic achievement into real employment.
